Inside the courtyard.
Beerus and Whis were still lazily lying on their beach chairs like salted fish beneath the umbrella.
Only Gran was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, Bulma stood in the open space, directing Krillin as he carried supplies into a spaceship.
The ship in question was the white spacecraft Kami had once used to escape from Planet Namek and arrive on Earth.
"Bulma, why aren't you doing anything?" Krillin complained bitterly while hauling boxes.
"Why are you just standing there ordering me around?"
Bulma crossed her arms and grinned smugly.
"Didn't you say you wanted to see the scenery outside the universe too?"
"If you're not working, then what? You expect a free ride?"
What else could Krillin even say to that?
He could only continue carrying things helplessly.
But just as he turned around, he suddenly spotted Vegeta stepping out from another spacecraft, seemingly heading in their direction.
Krillin nearly jumped in fright.
"Vegeta's awake!"
He immediately pointed behind Bulma.
"?"
Bulma turned around and instantly saw the short Saiyan approaching.
And behind him—
Her older sister Tights was following along closely.
Bulma's face immediately darkened with black lines.
Sis… your taste in men is seriously questionable!
Vegeta paid no attention to Bulma or Krillin.
Instead, he scanned the courtyard carefully before finally spotting Beerus and Whis lounging beneath the parasol.
Hm?
A trace of confusion flashed across his eyes.
Wasn't Gran supposed to be here too?
He began walking toward Beerus.
Beerus had originally been resting with his eyes closed.
But at that moment, he slowly opened them.
Their gazes met for only an instant—
Yet Beerus' eyes were incomparably cold, as though he were looking down upon all living beings.
Vegeta's footsteps abruptly stopped.
His very soul trembled.
"Lord Beerus' gaze… is still this terrifying!!"
He suddenly recalled the first time he had met Beerus as a child.
Vegeta began gasping heavily for air.
He wanted to calm himself before approaching further—
But no matter what, he couldn't steady his emotions.
In the end, he could only force himself forward step by step while suppressing the fear inside his heart.
When he finally arrived before Beerus and Whis, he immediately bent down respectfully.
"M-My greetings… Lord Beerus… Mr. Whis!"
"Oh? Isn't this Vegeta?" Beerus said lazily with half-lidded eyes.
"It's been quite some time."
"Yes… yes, Lord Beerus!"
"It has already been more than twenty years since our last meeting!"
Vegeta kept his waist deeply bent the entire time.
"Has it really been that long?"
Beerus casually picked up a drink from beside him and took a sip.
"I remember your father being rather cunning back then."
"He clearly found the most comfortable pillow in the entire universe…"
"…yet he secretly hid it from me."
"..."
Cold sweat instantly drenched Vegeta's forehead.
Of course he remembered that incident.
Back then, his father had even been trampled beneath Beerus' foot.
Seeing Vegeta's pale face, Beerus curled his lips in boredom.
"So, why did you come looking for me?"
Whis also quietly watched Vegeta from the side.
"I-I wanted to ask…"
Vegeta spoke tremblingly.
"Where… where did Lord Gran go?"
"Him?"
Beerus looked at the Saiyan before him and smirked faintly.
"He's Universe Seven's candidate God of Destruction."
"Do you think he needs to report his whereabouts to you?"
"N-No! Of course not!"
Vegeta's entire body shook violently in fear.
Seeing him like this only made Beerus feel even more bored.
He waved his hand dismissively.
"Fine. Tell me."
"You came looking for Gran because you wanted to ask about the method of becoming a Super Saiyan again, didn't you?"
"Yes… yes, Lord Beerus!"
Vegeta tried his best not to appear too pathetic.
"I truly wish to ask Lord Gran about the transformation method for becoming a Super Saiyan."
"Because only then… can I defeat Frieza!"
"What a useless fool," Beerus sneered mercilessly.
"You actually need someone else to teach you how to become a Super Saiyan."
The words stabbed directly into Vegeta's ears.
For an instant, the fury inside him completely overwhelmed his fear—
But he did not dare show it.
Beerus waved his hand impatiently.
"Gran isn't on Earth right now."
"Get lost."
Not on Earth?
Then where did he go?
Vegeta's emotions settled slightly, but confusion quickly filled his mind again.
"What?" Beerus' voice suddenly turned cold.
"Didn't you hear me tell you to get lost?"
"S-Sorry, Lord Beerus!"
"I'll leave immediately!"
Vegeta instantly snapped back to attention.
Just as he was about to leave, however, he suddenly thought of something.
Gritting his teeth, he turned back around and bowed once more.
"Lord Beerus…"
"May I ask… why did you choose Gran to become a candidate God of Destruction?"
Silence.
An absolutely suffocating silence instantly swallowed the courtyard.
Bulma, Tights, and Krillin all turned toward Vegeta in shock.
This guy…
He actually dared ask a God of Destruction something like that?!
At that very moment, Vegeta's heart pounded wildly.
Every cell in his body screamed with fear—
Yet he did not regret asking the question.
Gran had once been his subordinate.
Back then, Gran hadn't even possessed a battle power of one thousand.
He was trash who could even be ambushed by natives.
How could someone like that possibly become a candidate God of Destruction?!
"Hahahaha! Interesting!"
The furious explosion Vegeta imagined never came.
Instead, Beerus stood up from the beach chair with his hands behind his back, staring at Vegeta with a playful expression.
"What?"
"You think Gran isn't qualified to become a candidate God of Destruction?"
"..."
Vegeta wanted to answer yes.
But the fear surging through his body made him unable to speak.
If Gran had never received the guidance of Beerus and Whis—
Or if he himself had received the teachings of experts like Beerus and Whis—
Then Vegeta firmly believed Gran would never have been capable of trampling on his pride!
"You didn't answer," Beerus said calmly.
"But your expression already makes it obvious."
He looked at Vegeta with pity.
"Do you know the requirements for becoming a candidate God of Destruction?"
"N-No…"
Vegeta found Beerus' pitying gaze unbearably blinding.
"Talent."
"Only after that comes temperament and mentality."
Every time Beerus talked about Gran's talent, his emotions became visibly excited.
"As for mentality, let's not even discuss that."
"In this world, absolutely no one can surpass Gran in terms of talent."
"Not even me."
"Do you understand what that means?"
The moment those words fell—
Boom!!
Everyone in the courtyard felt as though thunder had exploded inside their minds.
"T-That's impossible!"
Vegeta shook his head frantically.
Gran had once been his subordinate!
Back then, Gran's battle power hadn't even reached one thousand!
How could he possibly possess talent greater than Beerus himself?!
Seeing this, Tights quietly sighed.
She knew her Vegeta had suffered another devastating blow.
Bulma, however, reacted completely differently.
Her face flushed bright red with excitement.
As expected of the handsome Gran!